But the vice-president expressed impatience with the unwillingness of North Korea to move toward ridding itself of nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles.
As they sat down for talks, Mr Pence told Mr Aso: "When President Trump agreed to this dialogue, he envisioned this as a mechanism for enhancing bilateral commercial relations between the United States and Japan, and achieving results in the near future".
U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, left, and Japanese Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Taro Aso shake hands as they end the joint press conference at the prime minister's office in Tokyo, Tuesday, April 18, 2017. Pyongyang's United Nations envoy, Kim In Ryong, told reporters in NY on April 17 that the United States has pushed the Korean peninsula to the "brink of war".
North Korea's deputy representative to the UN Kim In Ryong on Monday accused the USA of creating "a situation where nuclear war could break out at any time" and said Pyongyang's next nuclear test would take place "at a time and at a place where our headquarters deems necessary".
In his New Year's address, Kim Jong-un warned that the regime was close to testing an ICBM. He added that seeking a peaceful solution to the Korean Peninsula issue is a right direction and meets the interests of all related parties. "We have reached the final stage of preparations to test-launch an intercontinental ballistic missile", Kim said, adding that, "Research and development of cutting edge arms equipment is actively progressing".
US President Donald Trump has said that will not happen, and stepped up pressure on the isolated North. The tests are taking place over the Pacific because that's where the test ranges are large enough to accommodate them.
"The United States of America will always seek peace but under President Trump, the shield stands guard and the sword stands ready", Pence told 2,500 sailors dressed in blue fatigues and Naval baseball caps on a sunny, windy morning aboard the carrier at the U.S. Yokosuka naval base in Tokyo Bay.
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"Those who would challenge our resolve or readiness should know, we will defeat any attack and beat any use of conventional or nuclear weapons with an overwhelming and effective American response", Pence said to loud applause, reiterating that all options are on the table in dealing with Pyongyang. "We are with you 100 per cent". But he stressed: "Dialogue for dialogue's sake is meaningless". "I think he wants to help us on North Korea", Trump said of Xi.
Mattis denounced North Korea's attempted missile launch as he began a Middle East tour, telling reporters travelling with him to Saudi Arabia, "the leader of North Korea again recklessly tried to provoke something by launching a missile", he said.
On Sunday, Lt Gen HR McMaster, the United States top security adviser, said his country was working on a "range of options" with China, the first confirmation the two countries were co-operating to find a solution to the North Korean issue.
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi repeated China's position that the crisis could only be resolved by diplomacy.
Before Pence's arrival, Aso told reporters the talks were meant to provide, "not friction, but cooperation".
It's complicated. The two sides are economically entwined yet geopolitical adversaries in the Pacific, where China's ambition to project power risks colliding with the US commitment to keep peace.
Another hard point raised by the Associated Press is that Japan's government is drawing up plans to pre-position planes and ships in South Korea to assist with the evacuation of Japanese nationals in the event of hostilities, but the South Koreans may be uncomfortable with the presence of massed Japanese transports at their airfields and ports, due to long memories of World War II.
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